Tien Son - Potential for rural tourism development

Tien Son Commune (Duy Tien Town) has long been known as a sacred land, a place that gathers many unique tangible and intangible cultural values. Not only is it famous for its long history associated with the feudal dynasties of Vietnam, Tien Son is also a place that preserves traditional cultural spaces through relics, festivals, craft villages and residential forms in the Northern Delta. Cultural values ​​in Tien Son not only shape local identity but are also resources that help create unique and different tourism products.

Tien Son commune stands out with a dense system of relics, bearing typical historical and spiritual values ​​of the North. In particular, the Doi mountain complex - Long Doi Son pagoda is considered an irreplaceable spiritual and cultural symbol of the whole region. Doi mountain is located in the middle of the plain next to the green fields. Here, through archaeological and excavation surveys, many traces of residence, burial and beliefs of Dong Son residents about 2,000 years ago have been discovered. The field at the foot of Doi mountain is the place where King Le Dai Hanh once chose to perform the Tich Dien ceremony to encourage agriculture. The festival represents the ritual of the king going to the field to plow the spring, expressing the idea of ​​"di nong vi ban" (taking agriculture as the root) in national governance and encouraging production.

After establishing the capital in Thang Long, the Ly Dynasty soon became aware of Doi Mountain - the mountain that guards the south of Thang Long citadel, because according to feng shui, Doi Mountain guards and ensures the strength of Thang Long. Therefore, in 1118, King Ly Nhan Tong ordered the Long Doi Pagoda - whose Chinese name is Dien Linh Tu to be rebuilt, and built the Sung Thien Dien Linh stupa, making Doi Mountain even more of a sacred mountain and sacred land. Doi Mountain, together with the Chau Giang River winding at the foot of the mountain, is also the symbol of Chau River - Doi Mountain of Ha Nam province.

Long Doi Son Pagoda stands out for its architectural and historical value, and is an important cultural and religious center for the people of Tien Son and neighboring areas. Here, the Doi Pagoda festival is held on the 21st day of the third lunar month every year. In addition to commemorating King Ly Nhan Tong and his predecessors who founded the pagoda, it also recreates typical folk rituals such as water procession, worshiping gods, dragon dance, drum dance, etc. This is an occasion for the community from many villages in the commune to gather, contributing to strengthening social ties and preserving tangible and intangible cultural values.

Along with the highlight of Long Doi Son pagoda, An Mong stone communal house worships Princess Nguyet Nga - a female general of the Hai Ba Trung period with a very unique stone architecture, associated with the festival held on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year with the very special custom of catching the ball for good luck in the early spring of the new year... In addition, in Tien Son commune, there is also Doi Tam communal house worshiping the founder of Doi Tam drum craft. The communal house has a beautiful space with architecture imbued with traditional national identity.

Drum performance at the Doi Son Tich Dien Festival in 2025.

Doi Tam village is located right at the foot of Doi mountain. According to folk legend, the two drum-making ancestors, Nguyen Duc Nang and Nguyen Duc Dat, passed on the drum-making profession to the people since the reign of King Le Dai Hanh. Over hundreds of years, the drum-making profession has not only been preserved but also developed strongly, becoming a cultural and economic symbol of Tien Son commune. The landscape of the craft village is typical of the traditional Vietnamese craft village model with small establishments interspersed with residential areas. Each house in Doi Tam is both a place for living and a place of production. Doi Tam drum products not only serve the needs of beliefs, schools, and ceremonies, but are also present in traditional art troupes and in social life. In festivals in Tien Son, Doi Tam drums are the main musical instrument, creating a sacred and heroic atmosphere, showing the close connection between the craft village and local festival culture.

With many years of in-depth research on the history and culture of Tien Son as well as the desire to preserve and exploit the cultural landscape in a harmonious and sustainable way, Dr. Giang Van Trong - Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Sciences (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) has made very practical proposals to develop tourism products in Tien Son commune. That is, forming a specialized tourism route "Doi Tam Drum - Doi Mountain - Long Doi Son Pagoda". Traveling along this route, visitors begin their journey in Doi Tam village, experience drum making, listen to stories about the history of the village, the meaning of drums in festivals and in folk beliefs. Here, visitors can participate in a drum performance or do some steps to create a drum or buy some products as souvenirs.

For souvenir products, Dr. Giang Van Trong suggests using the image of the Ly dynasty dragon, the image of the stele, and the Ly dynasty calligraphy preserved at Doi pagoda to decorate the products, which will bring unique value to the craft village experience tour. After that, visitors visit Tich Dien field, where agricultural activities are recreated, symbolizing spring and prosperity. The journey continues to the top of Doi mountain, where Long Doi Son pagoda is located. Here, visitors will hear about the Buddhist architectural art of the Ly dynasty, see archaeological relics, and admire national treasures: the Sung Thien Dien Linh stele and 6 Kim Cuong statues preserved at the pagoda.

With the landscape of the craft village, the product "Experience the sound of Vietnamese festivals through Doi Tam drums" was also proposed by Dr. Giang Van Trong. This is a type of tourism specializing in sound and ritual. At the craft village, visitors will be introduced to the types of drums used in festivals, traditional art forms, in folk life... The experience does not stop at making but extends to performing, performing and storytelling. In Tien Son, the type of community cultural tourism is also quite suitable, with the theme "A day living like a Tien Son person". Accordingly, visitors can immerse themselves in the rhythm of life in the lowland villages of the North, visit the countryside, go to the market, enjoy unique cuisine in Tien Son such as: sticky rice cake, sweet soup, perch porridge...

Along with that, Dr. Giang Van Trong also made some recommendations for Tien Son to create unique tourism products and have the ability to position the brand. In particular, it is necessary to preserve static relics associated with preserving cultural practice spaces including: festivals, traditional crafts, traditional systems, beliefs, music, architecture associated with the landscape. The preservation process requires the participation of indigenous people, pagodas, artisans, authorities and tourism businesses. At the same time, it is necessary to shift from simple sightseeing to culturally in-depth experiences.

To do so, it is necessary to develop a communal and inter-regional landscape plan, have a coordination mechanism in heritage management; encourage investment in preserving craft villages associated with tourism through training the next generation; build spaces for craft performances, expand the production of fine art drums, ritual drums, etc. If we know how to creatively promote the depth of cultural landscape, Tien Son can completely become a typical model of cultural - heritage - community tourism in the Northern Delta in the future.

Chu Binh

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/du-lich/tien-son-tiem-nang-phat-trien-du-lich-nong-thon-165303.html